Thinking of changing 964 to 996

Hi - I currently run a 964 as a third car which is great and has been faultlessly reliable. We have a diesel Merc estate that my wife hates and a mk3 Golf GTI for leaving at Didcot station, school runs etc and use the 964 for fun and the odd 1.5 hr trip max. My wife has just won a contract in Redditch which will require us getting a new car as the 964 is just a bit loud and uncomfortable for that commute. I thought that rather than spending 10k on something to replace the golf we could add that to the 964 and get a good 996. So we want manual, good lights (don't know what litronics are?), heated seats, phone and nav. What should I be aiming for? £24k seems to get a low mileage 2002 C2 but do I worry about engines etc? The car I was looking at is with Finley Gorham who I know nothing about. Sorry for the lengthy question, cheers, Simon.

Litronic (Xenon) is correct. You will get a very good low mileage, late example of a 996 for 24k. The market is picking up, but 996 have dropped so much, that they are very reasonably priced. For example, I bought my 03 Targa 2.5 years ago, 40k miles for 31k. A similar example now would be around what you're looking for. Seeing that market and time have moved on since then, I reckon that you're not far off an '05 997, especially if you can sell your car privately. Or, £24k is probably not far off a nice 2004 C4S. Engines can and do go in the 996 (and 997 for that matter), but as long as the car has been looked after, they are generally very reliable. Tiptronics are sometimes the safer bet, as they cannot be over-rev'd, but there's examples of these engines going as well.

I brought my 2003 carrera 4 manual off Finlay Gorham and very pleased. I looked at several facelift 996 and visited several dealers and was very pleased with their service. When I fitted a Parrot blue tooth system to my car ( Halfords !!) the air bag light went off . They sorted that out with no charge. Also reasonable service costs. £200 for 12k and£400 for 24k service. They have had their business for >30 years Finlay being an ex Porsche racer who passed away his business partner Joff Ward now runs the business. I use my car as a daily driver and it's great as useable as my previous BMW m3. Reliable and a great driver

Thanks for replies. No to tip as I feel it saps power in any car. Am aware that I am near a 997 but I don't want to let my heart rule the head. How does 996 compare with M3 dzung as is an option I've considered but our last car was a 535d and the servicing drove me crazy with the I drive service thing.

which car at Finlay, got a link ?

I have gone through a number of cars but 911 certainly the most fufilling, even the humble 996. Previous cars Subaru wrx and 2003 BMW m3. Very similar performance between the two. BMW slightly more power but heavier and I think the Porsche nicer steering. Obviously more space in m3 and can't fit golf clubs in 996 but I do manage 2 children in back of my 996. My wife has the 320d touring and somehow the m3 didn't feel special enough. I just love the 911 with it's rear weight bias and extra traction manages to squats on it's haunches and gains traction out of corners. Really exhilarating stuff. Also looked at the Maserati when looking for mine but put off by it's slightly flaky nature, less reliable and poor handling. I think you will find the majority of 996, especially 3.6 facelift reliable, don't forget it is essentially the same engine as in the 3.6 997 other than some minor tuning changes.

take your time and wait for a decent C4S around your price.It will depreciate less than a standard 996 and looks better in wide bodied form not to mention turbo suspension and brakes. There are not a lot at that price but nice ones do come along if you are lucky and dont mind travelling.

I bought a 996 Carerra off Finlay Gorham three years ago. It had 40K miles on it then and cost £25K. It's now up to about 60K miles. The only problem I ever had was the coolant container splitting. Other than that, perfect reliabilty. I use it every day as my only car. I'd certainly have trust in Finlay Gorham from my one off experience. As for the idiot who describes it as the 'humble 996!' Disregard that trite. There's no such thing as a humble Porsche 911. It's a very very fast car. And very civilised and usable. I've heard all about the engine issues. the car is never mentioned without reference to them but 90% of cars have never had that problem and most are getting on in miles by now. Having said that, it is something to take into account and the word on the street seems to suggest that the C4S doesn't have this particular issue. Most people seem to prefer the look of them as well with the wide back end. I actually like the svelte simplicity of the straight Carrera shape - to me the C4S looks like a car wearing a showy pin strip suit without the turbo grunt to back it up but I'm definintely in the minority I think on that one.

You know how much I loved my 964, but since getting the 996, (C2 Cabrio), a few months ago I am enjoying this probably a bit more than the 964. I'm glad I had the 964, for the 'Real' air-cooled experience and feel but the 996 has better performance, just as much positive feel for the road but without the effort and aching arms. Oh, and the heater and a/c work (lolol) Mine was an OPC purchase, 2002 model, Sports suspension kit, PSE, No Satnav but CD changer, body kit, Ali dials & centre console kit, Split Rim GT Wheels, 35k miles, cabrio, FSH with OPC, Hardtop, warranty etc etc for £28k so for £24k plus or minus I think you're well in with a chance of a belter !! Good Hunting

GD wrote: Seeing that market and time have moved on since then, I reckon that you're not far off an '05 997, especially if you can sell your car privately. I have not seen any 997s for anywhere near 24k yet, even high mileage standard carreras. If so I would be very wary of the provenance.

Hmm, bit of a minefield this. Cars appear to be cheaper with dealers even OPC. 997 is £30k min and as I am paying cash and am not interested in finance - will limit myself to a 996. Cheers Pat for the comments - I nearly bought a C4S when I bought the 964 for £50k on an 04 plate - on that basis the 964 owes me nothing. I know the 996 will suit our needs better it's just a question of finding what I want.... Coupe any colour but green but prefer black,grey or silver, manual, heated seats, litronics and a black interior. I don't care if it's 2 wheel drive or 4 or wide bodied. I've never had a problem with the handling on my car but the front can step out if you really push it on a tight bend. Presumably the 996 is slightly better balanced? May go and see a few next week...

Are you interested in a C4 Cab?? I know you said no to a tip but really, it's a lot of fun. Almost as much as the MK3 GTi (have one of those too). Almost the best combination. Seriously, my car was bought for the commute, hence heated leather memory seats, trip computer, cruise control and PSM as it's the C4. Very safe for my wife to drive as well. The drive home from the airport is great fun with the roof down and really clears out the cobwebs. Someone here has the chance to get a good car with all the bits sorted out as I STILL cannot drive ( or ski for another two years :sad: ) Oh, and I've just taken advice from here and reduced it for the last time. BTW sorry for the thread creep!

Sorry Tim, I'm looking for a coupe only and a manual. Good luck with the sale, total nightmare if you are not trading. Try contacting suresell - you won't get the money you are asking but it will sell for trade value.

Not much more to add really; you've got the right budget, are sensible about what colour(s) / spec / options you want, have experience of 911 ownership and presumably won't be running it on a shoestring budget, so just enjoy looking and hope you get a good one! :thumbs: For what it's worth, the 996 is so-o-o easy to live with as an everyday car; mine does the commute (lovely 40-mile round trip, a little motorway then Cheshire A and B roads), I've done the weekly shop in it, go to the gym in it, been to Ikea in it (for small purchases only!), I even use it for going out walking at the weekends (Scafell Pike tomorrow). A friend has a 993 and while you could use it every day for all the above, I'm not sure I'd want to (although I will admit it is more 'special' when the mood takes).

> I have not seen any 997s for anywhere near 24k yet, even high mileage standard carreras. If so I would be very wary of the provenance. They are hovering around the £30k mark, so that's what I meant by a bit more. I predict once a few more go below this, they'll drop quite a bit, just like the 996 did. > the word on the street seems to suggest that the C4S doesn't have this particular issue. The C4S has the same 3.6 engine at the C2 and C4. The only difference is that the C4S is a newer car (introduced in 2001), so aren't as old as a lot of 996 - but they do indeed suffer with the same inherent design fault - which is the lack of cylinder support, the wrong material used and being bored too thin. The Turbo and GT engines are constructed with a different metal sleeve, and this change strongly supports why these engines are more reliable.